In the summer of 2015 I really drove west for the first time in my life. I had a summer internship in Mount Vernon, WA, so Tess and I road tripped out there all the way from Grand Rapids, MI. I'd never driven further west than Minnesota/Iowa/Missouri before, and I was very excited to experience the Rocky Mountains. When I first saw the mountains looming in the distance, happiness spread across my face. As the road climbed in Wyoming, I was practically giddy. Having lived all my life in the relatively flat spaces of Wisconsin—with brief stints in Illinois and Michigan—the mountains left me in awe. They were so much bigger and wilder than I ever could have imagined. That summer in Washington we regularly took day trips to the Cascade Mountains as possible, and Tess and I hit a couple national parks on our road trips bookending the summer. But our time out west was limited, and soon the mountains were only a memory.
Last week I finally got the chance to see the Rockies again. Tess, Lanie, and I took a trip to visit friends and family in Colorado. Now we didn't truly get into the heart of the mountains. We spent time in Fort Collins, Longmont, and Colorado Springs, mostly hovering between 5000 and 6000 ft. But we could see some truly high peaks when the weather was nice, and we still got a little taste of climbing up and down as we drove and did a bit of hiking. The views here in Iowa are nice enough. We get a good feeling of space looking over seemingly endless fields of corn and soybeans. But there's something different about looking up to the mountains and looking down from the heights. For a flatlander like myself, there's mysterious beauty in snow gleaming on the peaks and towns spreading through valleys. I love the exertion and adventure of hiking up and around on new trails, the picturesque scenery of trees and rocks and streams. I'll miss the thrill of seeing the mountains. I guess I'll just have to take another trip sometime.
Grace and peace,
BMH
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Monday, May 13, 2019
#130 Jam Sessions
As a college student I played guitar a lot. That's probably not incredibly unusual. Tons of college students play guitar. I regularly played for a few different campus ministries, which was great. I'd often pull my guitar out in my dorm room and play for a while to unwind or pass the time. My friend Ryan (or, as we called him, John Ryan "Ken 'the Animal' Jennings" Lindemulder) developed this ridiculous medley that we spent quite a bit of time figuring out and practicing on our guitars. (Come to think of it, that medley would make for a good blog post in the future.) That was an amazing experience.
But probably the most fun I had playing guitar in college was during jam sessions. Every so often a few of my friends and I would head outside at night and sit around on some picnic tables and play anything and everything we could figure out how to play off the top of our heads. My friend Leah (or, as we called her, LL Cool Laky) was my most frequent collaborator. We had such good times playing and singing. One of us would lead and the rest of us would listen and watch and figure out how best to join in. Time simply flew by during these jam sessions as we played song after song after song and different friends came and went. I remember crisp nights where I'd have to warm up my hands by breathing on them in between songs, wondering how long I could last before it turned too cold for my guitar. I remember passing a guitar around when somebody else came along and knew how to play a song the rest of us didn't. But mostly I remember thinking that those nights were the best nights in the world. I think I was probably right then. So if anyone wants to jam, just let me know. I'm ready.
Grace and peace,
BMH
But probably the most fun I had playing guitar in college was during jam sessions. Every so often a few of my friends and I would head outside at night and sit around on some picnic tables and play anything and everything we could figure out how to play off the top of our heads. My friend Leah (or, as we called her, LL Cool Laky) was my most frequent collaborator. We had such good times playing and singing. One of us would lead and the rest of us would listen and watch and figure out how best to join in. Time simply flew by during these jam sessions as we played song after song after song and different friends came and went. I remember crisp nights where I'd have to warm up my hands by breathing on them in between songs, wondering how long I could last before it turned too cold for my guitar. I remember passing a guitar around when somebody else came along and knew how to play a song the rest of us didn't. But mostly I remember thinking that those nights were the best nights in the world. I think I was probably right then. So if anyone wants to jam, just let me know. I'm ready.
Grace and peace,
BMH
Monday, May 6, 2019
#129 When Your Hero Is the Villain
Without question, the greatest Brewers player in my lifetime is Ryan Braun. He broke into the majors in 2007 and was named NL Rookie of the Year. In 2011, when the Brewers won their division for the first time in my life, Braun was NL MVP. He was runner-up in the MVP vote in 2012. Braun took home 5 consecutive Silver Slugger awards from 2008 to 2012.
After the 2011 season, the news broke that Braun had failed a test for performance enhancing drugs. He very publicly questioned how his urine sample was handled, painting the responsible individual in a horrible light. When the suspension was overturned on a technicality before the 2012 season, Braun gave an infamous and very smug press conference. But in 2013, Braun was connected to Biogenesis, which supplied PEDs to MLB players, and he served a 65-game suspension. Ryan Braun is a liar and a cheater.
If Braun played for any other team, I wouldn't be able to stand him. But he's played his entire career in Milwaukee. He's the only Brewer remaining from that beautiful 2011 team that I loved so very much. I almost feel like Braun is my kid. I'm ashamed of the bad things he's done, but he's still one of my guys, and I love him for that. So much of my love of baseball is tied up in the 2011 divison champion Brewers (and the 2008 wild card Brewers), and Braun was such a big part of that. He was my favorite Brewer long before the whole steroid scandal hit. He played the biggest role in leading the Brewers back to respectability for the first time in decades.
Ryan Braun, like any of us, is a deeply flawed person. He's a villain to many baseball fans, and deservedly so. But even if I'm not always comfortable with it, he's still my baseball hero. He's brought so much joy to Milwaukee fans. So here are my 8 favorite memories involving Ryan Braun, #8:
8. Braun drawing a walk before Prince Fielder hit a walk-off home run in the 14th inning against the Rockies in 2011. (I'm sure there are better Braun moments than this one, but I remember it vivdly—I was listening on the radio.)
7. Braun hitting 3 home runs and a triple against the Padres in 2012.
6. Braun winning Saturday's 18-inning game with his sixth(!) hit, a 2-RBI single. (I was watching on TV.)
5. Braun coming in as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning and launching the winning 2-run home run against the Marlins in 2011. (I was watching on TV.)
4. Braun getting three hits and scoring twice in the Brewers first playoff game in 2011. (I was at this game.)
3. Braun hitting an RBI single in the 8th inning of last year's 163rd game, as the Brewers beat the Cubs to clinch the 2018 NL Central title. (I was watching on TV.)
2. Braun hitting the winning home run in the 8th inning of the 2008 regular season finale, the day the Brewers clinched the wild card. (I was watching on TV.)
1. Braun smashing a home run off the scoreboard at Miller Park on the night the Brewers clinched the 2011 NL Central title. (I was at this game.)
Thanks for the memories, Ryan.
Grace and peace,
BMH
After the 2011 season, the news broke that Braun had failed a test for performance enhancing drugs. He very publicly questioned how his urine sample was handled, painting the responsible individual in a horrible light. When the suspension was overturned on a technicality before the 2012 season, Braun gave an infamous and very smug press conference. But in 2013, Braun was connected to Biogenesis, which supplied PEDs to MLB players, and he served a 65-game suspension. Ryan Braun is a liar and a cheater.
If Braun played for any other team, I wouldn't be able to stand him. But he's played his entire career in Milwaukee. He's the only Brewer remaining from that beautiful 2011 team that I loved so very much. I almost feel like Braun is my kid. I'm ashamed of the bad things he's done, but he's still one of my guys, and I love him for that. So much of my love of baseball is tied up in the 2011 divison champion Brewers (and the 2008 wild card Brewers), and Braun was such a big part of that. He was my favorite Brewer long before the whole steroid scandal hit. He played the biggest role in leading the Brewers back to respectability for the first time in decades.
Ryan Braun, like any of us, is a deeply flawed person. He's a villain to many baseball fans, and deservedly so. But even if I'm not always comfortable with it, he's still my baseball hero. He's brought so much joy to Milwaukee fans. So here are my 8 favorite memories involving Ryan Braun, #8:
8. Braun drawing a walk before Prince Fielder hit a walk-off home run in the 14th inning against the Rockies in 2011. (I'm sure there are better Braun moments than this one, but I remember it vivdly—I was listening on the radio.)
7. Braun hitting 3 home runs and a triple against the Padres in 2012.
6. Braun winning Saturday's 18-inning game with his sixth(!) hit, a 2-RBI single. (I was watching on TV.)
5. Braun coming in as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning and launching the winning 2-run home run against the Marlins in 2011. (I was watching on TV.)
4. Braun getting three hits and scoring twice in the Brewers first playoff game in 2011. (I was at this game.)
3. Braun hitting an RBI single in the 8th inning of last year's 163rd game, as the Brewers beat the Cubs to clinch the 2018 NL Central title. (I was watching on TV.)
2. Braun hitting the winning home run in the 8th inning of the 2008 regular season finale, the day the Brewers clinched the wild card. (I was watching on TV.)
1. Braun smashing a home run off the scoreboard at Miller Park on the night the Brewers clinched the 2011 NL Central title. (I was at this game.)
Thanks for the memories, Ryan.
Grace and peace,
BMH
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